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Thursday, May 3, 2012

Bringing in the Heat

I have always loved the look of a fireplace as a focal point for a room. So when we first moved into our place and it didn't have one, I was missing that centerpiece for my living "area"- where was I going to hang our Christmas stockings, right?

So sad...

I did a little Craigslist stalking and I came across a few great options and they ranged from $100-$400. Since we are in New England these beauties are all over the place from old historic homes that have been renovated.

I went for a mantle that reflected the look of our windows (you can see what those look like here)- not super plain, but also not overly ornate looking.Ours was listed for $200 but I was able to talk them down to a cool $140 (thank you for my haggling skills, Mom!)

Install is super easy, I just needed a few L brackets and some anchors. I went for the heavy duty ones because our TV was going to go on top. Even though the TV was secured to the wall, I liked the peace of mind that the mantel was not going to budge.

The mantel was a little narrow so we had to attach 2x4s to the back sides to bring out the depth, but if you were not putting a TV on top then that step would not be necessary. We had those cut at Home Depot and used L brackets to attach that to the sides from the inside.

With all the brackets in place this mantel was good to go. And with the double bookcases flanking it, I think that it looks like it had been there all along!

Santa is definitely going to know where to hang our stockings this year:)

The work is not quite done yet; I bought a radiator screen to fill the open space in the center for now, but I have been keeping my eye on some great Pinterest ideas. Here are the ones I love:

via niksnotes2.blogspot.com

via Apartment Therapy

via Apartment Therapy

Which one do you like best??

This is a great project for anyone one that rents their place because the it can easily be removed and go with you to your next home!

I always laugh when people come over and it takes them a while to even realize that the mantel is a fake. Then I know I did my job!